Is 60/65db acceptable?

Zoolooter

So, I’ve got a dB meter on my phone and found that at home my guitar vol is 60/65 from a valve amp with 10” speaker. To me it doesn’t sound too loud. I don’t play after about 8.30pm. What do you think?

Zoolooter

Forgot to say I live in a 30’s semidetached 

77ric

That’s around conversation volume, maybe loud conversation volume. So I would say that’s fine, assuming the db meter in your phone is correct of course. Is it an actual meter or just an App

DrCornelius

Based on this, I'd say its fine 

https://www.iacacoustics.com/blog-full/comparative-examples-of-noise-levels.html

mrkb

Thats just louder than normal conversation, quieter than a hoover

https://www.remaudiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fotolia_172344393_Subscription_Monthly_M-1030x1030.jpg

Zoolooter

Hmmm....The meter is a free app.

i ask this, as my neighbours are lovely and would hate to ever piss them off. If the meter reading is correct, I guess this comes down to the grey area (for me) of perceived volume to actual.

Zoolooter

I’ve also tried to eq it so there isn’t that much bass. 

77ric

I’m not sure I would trust an app to be correct though. Why not just ask the neighbours if they can hear you playing? Definitely the best way of gauging wether you are causing them a noise nuisance or not. 

yocky

Hmm. I just measured my unplugged tele at 65db

Chuffola

Zoolooter said:

Hmmm....The meter is a free app.

i ask this, as my neighbours are lovely and would hate to ever piss them off. If the meter reading is correct, I guess this comes down to the grey area (for me) of perceived volume to actual.

I'd knock their door and tell them if it ever sounds too loud to just bang the wall and you'll turn it down. I'd imagine they'll be unlikely to do that, but it's nice to let them know you don't want to annoy them. 

Zoolooter

yocky said:

Hmm. I just measured my unplugged tele at 65db

Lol, best I get a proper meter!

yocky

It is possible my ears are shot but I find much below 80db and I'm wondering what the point is. 80db is also the point at which I can't really hear anything outside if I run a looper and the windows are shut.

I just measured an acoustic at 75db 

usedtobe

We live in a 5 yr old detached house. Our neighbours play their ‘music’ loud enough to make our walls shake. I reckon you’re fine!

77ric

A quick poke around the t’interwebs suggests some apps are within +/- 2db and others are out by as much as 10db. Also suggests iPhones are better for this kind of thing (known hardware/more advanced audio capabilities) and that best accuracy within 1db needs a properly calibrated quality external mic. 

Zoolooter

Thanks everyone for all the comments. Sensible just to ask them, once he’s finished putting that bloody new fireplace in.

skunkwerx

I’ve had similar thoughts lately. 

The house next door was unoccupied for around 3 blissful years. I could play as loud as I wanted as the other side is detached. 

Then last year a family moved in. I’m not actually sure how many live there but I hear kids crying and a woman, and theres a young bloke who I presume must work out because I can hear the same odd noises every morning, sounds like a machine or punch bag or something. 

Noise like this doesnt bother me, just normal life noises, but it made me realise the walls must be bloody thin.. and I’m not very quiet at all! 

They’ve never said anything, but then again they’ve never said anything to anyone, keep themselves to themselves.. I sometimes play acoustically at night and I think... I bet they can hear this.. 

I mean I know the kids name and I’ve never even seen it lol.. and they arent shouting it either. 

Zoolooter

@skunkwerx my neighbours were always out through the day, but now taken early retirement. Most of the time I work from home and play a bit in the day.  So, I think it’s a case of I’ve got very use to the volume, and then suddenly thought is it ok or not. 

HAL9000

What kind of property are you in? If it's a semi then why not use a room away from the party wall? Also, amps can be quite directional so have the speaker pointing away from the party wall.

skunkwerx

Zoolooter said:

@skunkwerx my neighbours were always out through the day, but now taken early retirement. Most of the time I work from home and play a bit in the day.  So, I think it’s a case of I’ve got very use to the volume, and then suddenly thought is it ok or not. 

Yeah I feel ya. Today I was playing thru my blackstar 10 valve amp, I spoke at a convo volume and could easily hear myself over it, but it got me pondering, it seems to project the sound moreso.. cant describe it lol

Zoolooter

HAL9000 said:

What kind of property are you in? If it's a semi then why not use a room away from the party wall? Also, amps can be quite directional so have the speaker pointing away from the party wall.

My setup is as my avatar with the cab angled into the room. The house is a 30's semi, the wall behind the bookcase is the partition wall.

Looking at the graph posted by @mrkb 65db would be getting on for a bit loud. Just can't get my head around conversation at 65db being the same as 65db from an amp with a 10" speaker. The sound fills the room more from a 10" speaker so the volume is perceived to be louder but actually isn't?

Cirrus

I have to be honest, I don't think you're measurement's accurate bud.

60 - 65dbis quiet enough that you'd probably decide there was no point having the amp turned on.

But it doesn't really matter what the actual value is. What matters is how much of it gets through the wall, and how much your neighbours mind. I know from experience that if you're trying to get to sleep *any* amount of noise coming from next door is annoying, even if it's down at the threshold of hearing... but most people are reasonable and accept that some noise is normal.